The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently published the publication, Preparing for Unimaginable: How chiefs can safeguard officer mental health before and after mass casualty event. The purpose of this publication is to offer expert advice and practical tips for helping officers heal emotionally, managing the public, dealing with the media, building relationships with other first responder agencies, and more, following a mass casualty.
The COPS Office reached out to NAMI following the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School to help the Newtown (CT) Police Department cope with the tragedy. This publication was developed as a result of that partnership. The most valuable aspect of the publication is the input received from four police chiefs, including Newtown Police Department Chief Michael Kehoe, and numerous other officers who have lived through tragedies and shared their experiences.
To access the COPS Office publication, please click here.